1. Field
This application relates to a brake mechanism for a wheel of a non-motorized wheeled vehicle including, but not limited to, a shopping cart.
2. Description of Related Art
Non-motorized wheeled vehicles are used in a wide range of applications. In some of these applications, it may be desirable to provide a brake mechanism to inhibit motion of the vehicle. In certain cases, the brake mechanism can be disposed in one or more wheels of the vehicle. For example, in one non-limiting example application for non-motorized carts, a shopping cart containment system may be used to deter theft of shopping carts from a retail location such as, e.g., a supermarket. In one such example containment system, a wire may be embedded in the pavement of a store parking lot to define an outer boundary of an area in which shopping cart use is permitted. A signal generator is used to transmit an electromagnetic signal through the wire. One or more wheels of the shopping carts may be configured with a brake mechanism. When a shopping cart is moved over the boundary wire, a sensor in or near the shopping cart wheel detects the electromagnetic signal in the wire, and in response, the brake mechanism is actuated, thereby inhibiting movement of the shopping cart. For example, the actuated brake mechanism may lock the wheel to substantially prevent rotation of the wheel. This example system advantageously deters theft (and/or movement of carts into undesirable and/or unsafe areas), because a user will have to drag (or carry) the cart once one or more wheel brakes have been actuated. In some implementations, to unbrake the wheel, an authorized attendant may use a handheld remote control to send an unlock signal to the brake mechanism, thereby permitting the cart to be rolled back to a desired location at the retail location.